And a winter bed crisis ?
Ireland has a daily hospital bed crisis with people sleeping on corridor trolleys in Third World conditions throughout the year.
Where is the media covering this ? The Irish Times expends more column inches on the NHS than it does on conditions in hospitals a shirt distance from its office.
Why aren’t politicians being held to account ? Where is the anger of the doctors and nurses on show ?

you’re a FG TD aren’t you rob? You’re involved someway. The other day you said we don’t have a housing crisis, that it’s been handled well by government, and now you’re defending the clearly defunct health care system. These are not opinions, they are both in tatters for all to see, as a fact. So you defending what everyone else can see to be in bits, means you must be one of the very few who would defend them, someone in FG. come clean, what’s ur tie in here? Disgusting by the way, how people are dying because of your governments failures and you try to tell people its not bad, in fact its fine, so dont complain. not a lick of moral fiber between the lot of you.

oh i know well. although i’m a private GP, I don’t work in a hospital, but I’m aware of how incredibley defunct they are, and I also remember you being on here before saying that we have a great healthcare system because some people actually get seen to when they’re admitted. You’re another “party uber alles” cretin who defends FG in the face of unbelievable failings. This ensures nothing you say has any credence, because opinion is removed from discourse once you defend something unconditionally because of personal interest.

Has there been any reason given for dropping the case against Al Porter? Anyone know what percentage of cases are dropped like this?

One would assume that the DPP would have all their ducks in a row before proceeding in the first place- otherwise they are potentially leaving the state liable for damages. Also the whole anonymity thing is strange- was the alleged victim not making public statements about the incident?

Yes – about 70 to 75 per cent of alleged cases of sexual offences are not pursued by the DPP. Reasons are never given beyond the bare statement that the Director did not think a prosecution had sufficient likelihood of success.

All allegations of sexual offences are sent to the DPP by the Gardaí once the Garda investigation is complete. The DPP’s office is by nature quite cautious in what it pursues, balancing the public interest with its own tight budget and the limited resources of the courts. There isn’t really a question of state liability on the DPP’s part, as it is almost overwhelmingly difficult to make a case that the DPP engaged in a reckless prosecution.

The right of anonymity for alleged victims of sexual offences is well established, but it doesn’t stop them from making voluntary public statements without necessarily waiving that right. Most media outlets err on the side of caution as they could find themselves criminally liable.

To be fair to her, at least she isn’t pretending everything is great. Last month I was there about that length too with my wee one.

I’m not a Fine Gael voter but there is no harm in them experiencing what the majority have to face, having said that I sincerely hope her child is better now. It’s a terrible hopeless feeling you have as a parent/ guardian / family / friend when you’re want to help an invalid but you get stuck in a system created by hyper capitalism which is by its very design is anti care and anti equality.

Normally TDs don’t have to face that kind of wait which is probably why it came as such a shock to her. I hope her child is alright, but after waiting 7 hours and flouncing without her child even being triaged, it seems more about the treatment of Ms O’Connell than her child.

its mad that this is news to her. she must’ve heard the whole country lament the state of the HSE and just thought “well i don’t believe any of you” and had to literally experience it to see what it’s like

I see Belfast Mayor John Finucane has ” apologised unreservedly ” for being caught by the rozzers urinating in the street.
Such as shame he can’t do the same to the families of the victims killed by the IRA terrorists he counts as his friends and colleagues.